When you're looking for a family getaway, we can help you plan your holiday. You may prefer to cruise and explore at your own pace or you might want some suggestions of where to go and what to do and how to keep them occupied. Next itinery has plenty of time to hop ashore & other activities. (4 x 24 hours).

Day 1 :

Arrive at Compass Charters Base in Waikawa Marina, either by car or after pick up from transport centra in Picton by Compass Charters crew. Finalise details, fit buoyancy jacket for the smallest crewmember and board your vessel. Someone of Compass Charters will show you over the yacht or launch you have chartered and tell you about the cruising area, safety equipment and specific information relating to your vessels operation. Or might have decided on some tuition, to have everyone gain confidence in their boating skills. If you have enough time before sunset, cruise from the marina, and tie up to a Compass Charters mooring for the night.

Day 2 :

After woken up by the birdsong visit the tame fish in Double Cove, have a refreshing swim in the bay before cruising or sailing to Ruakaka Bay by the Salmon Farm to watch the seals near the pens or on the rocks. Try to catch some blue Cod at the headlands and cruise on with destination Endeavour Inlet. After exploring the Bay and shoreline with your vessel and the tender, take up a mooring at one of the Resorts and enjoy a meal ashore or have a game of cards onboard.

Day 3 :

Continue towards Motuara Island the bird sanctuary, have a snorkel, fish or dive at the Northern end of the Island. Anchor up near the jetty on the western side of the Island. All crew decide to walk the track to the top of the island to admire the amazing views. On your walk you will encounter numerous native birds: Robins, bellbirds saddle backs, wood pigeons etc. Cruise to Ships Cove to have a BBQ on deck on another one of Compasses moorings.

Day 4 :

Explore the beach, bush, cannons and waterfall at Ship's Cove. Heading back around Long Island, the reserve (Sorry, no fishing). Then cruise on towards Coopers Point, to explore the underwater realm maybe. Take in the scenery, watch while gannets launching themselves from great heights into the water. Find a mooring or sheltered anchorage for the night.

Day 5 :

Always the dreaded last day! Slowly cruise back to Waikawa Marina, where you will be met by one the Compass Charters Crew to help you on your way again, home or to a destination elsewhere.

Arrive at Compass Charters Base in Waikawa Marina. Finalise details, get another fishing rod, packet of hooks or bait if required and board your vessel. After the briefing, which will cover the charter vessels equipment, operating instructions and the cruising area, we load on the gear. Throw the mooring lines and cruise out of the marina to a sheltered anchorage or tie up to a mooring for the night somewhere in the Queen Charlotte Sound.

Day 2 :

After woken up by the birdsong, cruise or sail to Ruakaka Bay by the Salmon Farm to watch maybe the seals splashing in the water. Cruise towards Motuara Island the bird sanctuary, have a snorkel, fish or dive at the Northern end of the Island. Anchor up near the jetty on the western side of the Island. All crew decide to walk the track to the top of the island to admire the amazing views. On your walk you will encounter numerous native birds: Robins, bellbirds saddle backs, wood pigeons etc. Cruise to Ships Cove to have a BBQ on deck on another one of Compasses moorings.

Day 3 :

Sail or Cruise towards Cape Jackson to arrive there near slack tide to hook up a few Blue Cod or some Terakihi. Or you might feel liking donning scuba to try to find a crayfish. Continue your trip towards Pelorus Sound entrance. Navigate Allan Strait and admire the wildlife on the sugar loaf. Find a mooring in Te Kopai or if keen continue to World's End with its beautiful bush-clad hills.

Day 4 :

In one of the bays of World's End the first part of the Nydia track starts. This is a gorgeous walk among native rainforest and over a saddle with great views, ending up in Nydia Bay. Part of the year you will find Rata and Pohutukawa's in flower. Some of the crew could hike this track while the others relocate the boat to pick up the trampers.

Day 5 :

Heading further into the Sound towards the end destination in Keneperu, most likely Portage or other location on arrangements. A water taxi could take you to your next destination or we can arrange transportation back to Picton.

OR

Day 1 :

Board your charter vessel around noon. Sail or cruise towards the outer Queen Charlotte. Visit the seals in Ruakaka, historic ships cove or Motuara Island. Find a mooring for the night in ships cove to enjoy a BBQ onboard.

Day 2 :

Today we travel around Cape Jackson (where the Mikhail Lermontov struck the rocks) past the Chetwode Islands with destination Catherine Cove. Here we will enjoy the hospitality of the Wilderness Resort with diner ashore.

Day 3 :

We will leave Catherine cove and head South. Then we will tackle the turbulent waters of the tidal French Pass. We will contine along the Coast of D’urville Island to Cupe Bay or Greville Harbour. Spend the night on anchor in this tranquil place.

Day 4 :

Exit Cupe Bay / Greville Harbor with matching the tides and explore the coastline. Cruise out of Greville and continue your journey to NelsonIn Nelson you could explore the city, continue you travels or use the option to rent a car and return to Picton or travel to a different destination. You could also extend the charter by a day and explore the waters and golden beaches of Abel Tasman before finishing your charter.

Compass Charters will relocate the vessel back to Waikawa for the next charter from your drop off point, which could Havelock, Portage, Nelson or even Abel Tasman if required.

To see all of the Marlborough Sounds, you will need a lifetime! This boating holiday will give you a taste of both the Queen Charlotte and Pelorus Sounds and also circum navigates rugged D'Urville Island. Unfavourable weather might change the trip to a different, but certainly not a less interesting experience. There are plenty of beautiful walks to do.

Day 1 :

Arrive at Compass Charters Base in Waikawa Marina in anticipation of your adventure that is about to begin. Meet your competent skipper and board the yacht or launch you have chosen for your voyage. Alternatively have Compass Charters show you over your charter vessel and provide info about the Sounds, the charts & info provided and other equipment to prepare you for your bareboat charter. Cruise out of the bay, taking in the scenery heading to the outer Queen Charlotte. Pick up a Compass Charters mooring in Ship's Cove, which used to be the hideout of Captain Cook in the 18th century.

Day 2 :

Bright and early we cruise towards Motuara Island, the bird sanctuary and enjoy a walk amongst native birds and forests. At the summit we have an amazing view over the Sounds. In the distance lays Cape Jackson, our next milestone of the day. We are rounding the Cape at slack tide, through the gap where in 1986 the Mikhail Lermontov struck the sea bottom. The large cruise liner still rests on the bottom of Port Gore and provides an interesting dive site. After some time fishing near the Cape and passing headlands and Islands we aim for a mooring in Catherine Cove on D'Urville Island. The Wilderness Café's runabout takes us ashore to have dinner, before we retire back to our vessel.

Day 3 :

Making our way North, admiring the Islands coastline, we navigate through the Rangitoto's and end up at Stephens Passage. Here water and food layers swirl up from the deep to attract plenty of fish, other sea-life and therefor also some fishermen. With running tides, strong currents flow along several Island, funny shaped rocks and caves. We spend the night in one of the sheltered arms of Port Hardy. Traces can still be found of Maori toolmakers, which used to carry their minerals from the top of D'Urville.

Day 4 :

Walk along and explore the shoreline, bush and riverbeds by foot at low tide. We weigh the anchor to head Sound further around the Island. We can only enter our next natural harbour at mid to high tide as forces of Nature have deposited a boulder bank at the entrance. Waiting for the tide to come in, we snorkel around Titi Island at the entrance of Greville Harbour while a seal from a nearby colony pays us a visit. Have a BBQ on the back deck while listening to the Morepork (native owls) ashore.

Day 5 :

Adjusting our morning routine to the tides, we cruise out of Greville looking over Tasman Bay. Heading south and then east we navigate the whirlpools surrounding French Pass, a narrow Strait of water separating D'Urville from the mainland. Advisable: This obstacle is to be taken when it is around slack water. Continue towards Pelorus Sound entrance and find a snug mooring or anchorage for the night. (Homestead or Te Kopai Bay do have Compass moorings)

Day 6 :

The waterways of Pelorus will take us to World's End with its beautiful bush-clad hills. In one of the bays the first part of the Nydia track starts. This is a gorgeous walk among lush native rainforest and leads over a saddle with great views, ending up in Nydia Bay. Part of the year you will find Rata and Pohutukawa's in flower. Some of the crew could hike this track while the others relocate the boat to Nydia Bay to pick up the trampers. Again we find an anchorage or mooring or decide to visit another Resort for the evening.

Day 7 :

Retracing a small part of yesterdays journey we head for Allan Strait and cruise back into the open sea. Today a pod of dolphins accompanies us for a short while on our trip back to Queen Charlotte Sound. After a long but satisfactory day we find again a resort or mooring in Endeavour Inlet.

Day 8 :

On our last day we slowly make our way back to Waikawa marina regretting our Sounds exploration has come to an end.

If you would have taken a longer charter you could also include crossing Tasman Bay to visit Golden Bay.

Rates

Click below to see all our Boat Rates, Additional Services info and Rates, Season dates and Discount structure. As well as additional info about Bonds, Onboard accommodation etc. If you need a quote, further help or information please contact us.

Quick Quote

Simply give us a few details about your proposed charter and we will send you an obligation free quote back for consideration. It's QUICK and EASY, just click below to take the first step towards your floating holiday.

Compass Fleet

Compass Charters' diverse fleet consists of fully equipped and well-maintained yachts, launches and runabouts. If you need help choosing which vessel to charter, just contact our crew and we will be happy to help you.